Knife-polishing machine.



PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

G. S. BLAKESLBB. KNIFE POLISHING MAGHINB.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

7 2/ J7 J2 57 x 1 No. 873,011. PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

G. S. BLAKESLEE.

KNIFE POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28. 1900.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KN IFE-POLISHIN G- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 28.1906. Serial No. 349.765.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. BLAKES- LEE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knife-PolishingMachines, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawmgs.

This invention relates to machines for cleaning and polishing knifeblades and other similar articles.

One of the objects of my invention is to so construct a hood or casingfor the polishing wheels of the machine that, when a knife is to bepassed between the wheels, it will be guided or directed in such manneras to make it impossible for the operator to move such knife down in away to cut or injure the flexible covering that is usually applied tothe surfaces of such wheels.

Another object of my invention is to provide in connection with thepolishing wheels of such a machine a receptacle for containing a powdersuch as is commonly used in connection with the polishing of knives, andso locating such receptacle that the powder will be dischargedimmediately over the bite of the polishing wheels, and that at the sametime it will be sufficiently removed above such wheels as not tointerfere with the proper insertion of knives that are to be operatedupon.

Furthermore, it is the object of my invention to provide a constructionthat will prevent the powder that is fed to the polishing wheels frombeing blown or scattered over the gearing and other parts of themachine.

I attain these objects by the construction and arrangement of partsshown in the drawings and hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a top or plan view of myimproved machine,

the powder receptacle being broken away and a portion of the gearcovering also being broken away. Fig. 2 is an end view, the housing overthe polishing wheels and the powder receptacle, however, being shown insection. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken at line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, in which correspondingparts are indicated by like reference characters, 5 indicates a base,preferably of metal, supported, in the construction shown, on suitablecorner legs 6.

7 indicates a main driving shaft which is supported in suitable bearings8 9 a short distance above the base 5.

10 indicates a'bevel gear on the shaft 7 which is adapted to mesh withanother bevel gear 11 secured on the inner end of a short shaftjournaled in a suitable bearing 12 on the end of which shaft is secureda crank 13. By these devices, the machine is adapted to be turned byhand. If it is desired to operate the machine by power, the bevel gear10 may be moved along the shaft 7 out of engagement with the gear 11 andpower may be applied by means of a belt over the pulley 15 on theprojecting end of the shaft 7. 14 indicates a loose pulley on said shaft7.

16 17 indicate a pair of polishing wheels covered with any suitablefacing, such as is commonly employed on wheels in machines of thischaracter. The wheel. 16 is fast upon the shaft 7 so as to rotatetherewith.

18 indicates a frame bolted to the upper face of the base 5 andinclosing the lower portions of the polishing wheels 16 17. As shown,this frame is considerably higher at its ends than at its centralportion, such central portion being below the central or contactingportions of the polishing wheels. Upon the upperedges of the two sidewalls of this lower central portion of the frame 18, are placed blocks19 which act as stops for the blades that are being cleaned to come incontact with.

20 indicates an axle upon which the wheel 17 is mounted. supported inbearings 21 in a frame the sides The ends of this axle 20 are of whichare each in the form of a bell-crank.

These two bell-cranks of this frame are indi cated by 22 and 23, 22being the rearwardlyextending portion, and 23 the-downwardlyextendingportion. The outer ends of the portions 22 are connected by an end-piece24., as clearly shown in Fig. 1, which, in the form of constructionillustrated, is integral with the other portions of the frame. Thisdouble crank flame embraces the frame 18 at one end, and to such frameor housing the depending arms are attached by suitable pivot bolts 25.The end of the frame 18, to which this bell-crank is attached, isprovided with an ear 27, and directly beneath this ear, when the partsare in position, is another ear 28 extending out from the endbar 2 1 ofthe bell-crank lever frame. 29 indicates a screw suitably securedagainst turning in the ear 28, such screw passing through an opening inthe ear 27 and being held in place by a thumb-nut 30. By means of thisconstruction of bell-crank lever,which is fully set forth in my priorpatent, No. 833,153, dated October 16, 1906,the polishing wheel 17 canbe moved to bear with greater or less force against the other polishingwheel.

31 indicates a short shaft mounted in a suitable bearing 32 that issupported from the base 5.

33 indicates a connection, in the form of a twisted bar, that connectsthe inner ends of the short shafts 20 and 31, as explained in my saidformer patent.

34 indicates a gear on the end of the main drive shaft 7 which mesheswith another similar gear fast on the short shaft 31, these two gearsbeing covered by a suitable covering 35.

36 37 indicate hoods over the wheels 16 17, respectively, and inclosingthe upper portions of such wheels. The top portions of these hoods arecurved to conform to the wheels over which they respectively lie, andtheir inner ends lie quite close to each other, so as to leave a narrowslot directly over the bite of the two wheels, through which slot aknife blade can pass. This slot is indicated by 38. The inner ends ofthe top plates of the hoods are correspondingly notched, as indicated.at 39, so as to provide an opening of sufficient size to admit of powderbeing discharged from above, as hereinafter described, onto the surfacesof the wheels when a knife is in place between such wheels or is beinginserted into the machine. The slot 38 is but little more than wideenough to permit of the free insertion of an ordinary knife blade, and,if these notches 39 were not provided, a knife in place in the machine,or being inserted into the machine, would prevent the free flow ofpowder to the wheels.

By reason of bringing the inner ends of the hoods 36 and 37 closetogether, as described, and curving such ends downwardly, a perfectguard is formed which will prevent a knife being so entered as to cut orinjure the facing on the wheels. These hoods 36 and 37 are adapted to beremovably secured to the ends of the frame 18 by bolts 40, as shown, orin any other suitable manner. It is desirable that these hoods berigidly connected together so that they can both be removed or replacedsimultaneously, and to this end I have provided a bridge-piece 41, whichis riveted, or otherwise suitably secured, at its ends, to the tops ofsuch curved hoods. In order that such bridge-piece may not interferewith the free insertion of a knife, its central portion is raised, asclearly shown in Fig. 2. This bridge-piece, in addition to serving as aconnecting means for the two hoods, serves also as a support for areceptacle 42 which is screw-threaded into a suitable opening in theraised central portion of the bridge-piece 41, in the constructionshown. It might, however, be otherwise secured, of course. As shown, thelower portion of this receptacle is hopper-shaped, so that powder placedtherein will more readily pass therefrom. 43 indicates a dischargeopening in the bottom of this receptacle 42, such opening being locateddirectly above the bite of the wheels 16 17.

44 indicates a bent shaft serving as an agitator to stir up the powderin the receptacle. into the opening 43 and closes it sufficiently sothat practically no powder will escape from the receptacle except whenthe shaft is turned.

45 indicates a removable cover for the receptacle 42, through whichcover the upper end of the shaft 44 passes, such end. of the shaft beingturned to form a suitable operating handle 46.

47 indicates an opening of suitable size.

formed in the base 5 immediately below the line of contact of the wheels16 17. Below this opening 47 is suitably secured a movable drawer 48provided on its outer end with a handle 49. This drawer is provided tocatch the powder that drops from the wheels 16 17.

50 indicates short hollow studs rising from the bearings of the shafts 7and 20 at each side of the two polishing wheels, through which lubricantis adapted to be fed to such shafts. Over the top of each one of thesehollow studs 50 is a cover 51, each cover hav, ing a projecting ear 53through which a pivot 52 passes into one of the side walls of theadjacent hood. These pivoted covers 51 can be turned up to permitlubricant to be poured into the hollow studs. This is an improvementover my former construction in which the covers were formed as integralears on the hoods, and served the double purpose of covering such studsand acting as bearing plates for the hoods. It was therefore necessaryin my former construction to entirely remove the hoods in order toinsert lubricant into the studs. With my present construction, ofcourse, the, hoods do not have to be moved with relation to the frame18.

By my invention, 1 provide the polishing I The lower end of this shaft44 passes multaneous removal, and, by reason of being rigidly connectedtogether, are supported wholly at their outer ends upon the frame 18. Ofcourse, if they were not connected together each hood would require twopoints of support, as in the construction illustrated in my said PatentN 0. 833,153. The construction illustrated also enables powder to beapplied properly to the wheels whether a knife has been inserted or isbeing inserted or not, all as above explained.

What I- claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In a knife-polishing machine, the combination with two rotatablepolishing wheels placed edge to edge, .of a covering over the sameconsisting of a pair of separate, movable hoods, the inner edges of suchhoods being close to the bite of the wheels, whereby a narrow slot isformed into which a knife can be entered and be directed down betweensaid wheels, and means for connecting gaid hoods together, substantiallyas speci- 2. In a knife-polishing machine, the combination with tworotatable polishing wheels placed edge to edge, of a covering over thesame consisting of a separate semi-cylindrical hood portion over eachwheel, the inner edges of such hood portions being close to the bite ofthe wheels, whereby a narrow slot is formed into which a knife can beentered and be directed down between said wheels, and an archedbridgepiece secured to the upper faces of said hood portions forconnecting such hood portions together, substantially as specified.

3. Ina knife-polishing machine, the combination with two rotatablepolishing wheels lying in the same plane and placed edge to edge, of acovering over the same having a slot directly over the bite of thewheels to permit and direct the passage of a knife between the wheels,and a powder receptacle carried by said covering and having a discharge,opening adapted to direct powder from the receptacle onto the surfacesof said wheels, substantially as specified.

4. In a knife-polishing machine, the combination with two rotatablepolishing wheels lying in the same plane and placed edge to edge, of apowder receptacle above said wheels, and a covering over said wheelshaving a slot directly over the bite of the wheels to permit and directthe passage of a knife between the wheels, said slot being widenedbetween its ends to permit powder to be fed to the wheels at the sametime that a knife is in position between the wheels, substantially asspecified.

5. In a knife-polishing machine, the combination with two rotatablepolishing wheels lying in the same plane and placed edge to edge, of acovering over the same having a slot directly over the bite of thewheels to permit the passage of a knife between the wheels, said slotbeing widened between its ends to permit powder to be fed to the wheelsat the same time that a knife is in position between the wheels, and apowder receptacle carried by said covering and having a dischargeopening adapted to direct powder through said slot, substantially asspecified.

6. In a knife-polishing machine, the combination with two rotatablepolishing wheels lying in the same plane and placed edge to edge, of acovering over the same consisting of a curved hood portion over eachwheel, the inner edges of such hood portions being close to the bite ofthe wheels to form a narrow slot open at both ends into which a knifecan be entered and by which it will be directed down between saidwheels, the edges of'such slot being notched so that powder may pass tothe wheels when a knife is in said slot, a bridge-piece secured to theupper faces of said hood portions, and a powder receptacle secured tosaid bridge-piece, substantially as specified.

7. In a knife-polishing machine, the combination with two rotatablepolishing wheels placed edge to edge, of a covering over the sameconsisting of a curved hood portion over each wheel, the inner edges ofsuch hood portions being close to the bite of the wheels to form anarrow slot into which a knife can be entered and by which it will bedirected down between said wheels, the opposite edges of such slot beingnotched so that powder may pass to the wheels when a knife is in saidslot, a bridge-piece raised at its central portion and secured at itsends to the upper faces of the hood portions, and a powder receptaclesecured to the raised central part of said bridge-piece, substantiallyas specified.

8. In a knife-polishing machine, the combination with a rotatablepolishing wheel, a shaft therefor, bearings on opposite sides of thewheel for said shaft, and hollow studs rising from said bearings,through which studs lubricant is adapted to be fed, of a removable hoodfor said wheel, and covers pivotally attached to the sides of said hoodadapted to close the upper ends of said hollow studs, substantially asspecified.

GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE.

\ Witnesses:

ALBERT H. ADAMS, WILLIAM H. DE BUsK.

